The earnings performance of Exxon and other oil companies reflected the slow increase in crude prices, which were at a low last summer.

Analysts called the agreement "curious" given Hooters's poor earnings performance.

That investigation, and the resulting shake-up of the company's top officers in the last few months, brought down earnings performance.

Irving attributed its improved earnings performance to a restructuring program the bank has been undergoing since 1984.

And the earnings performance of these few companies can overshadow the general trend.

But in the earnings-conscious 1990's, analysts are suddenly more concerned about Paramount's earnings performance.

Ben Graham's idea was to look at 20 years of a company's earnings performance.

And it has ruled that cable companies must lower their rates slightly, which will affect those companies' earnings performance.

In addition to pricing pressure, the company also noted that its earnings performance had been affected by product transitions.

Thanks to its earnings performance in recent quarters, Citigroup's stock has become the blue chip of the banking world.